In 1968, APICS entered its second decade during a tumultuous period in history. The Vietnam War raged, rioting erupted in cities across the country, and Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. Amidst this turmoil, APICS grappled with its own future.

Still a relative newcomer on the organizational scene, APICS strived to secure its niche as a professional society. Supported by a strong grassroots philosophy of volunteerism and the efforts of individuals at all levels of the organization, APICS was able to maintain its pace of activity while attaining financial stability. Membership continued to grow and programs expand.

In 1969, the society turned a financial corner, helped by the proceeds of a successful annual conference in New York City. On the international front, the British Production and Inventory Control Society (BPICS) joined APICS as an affiliate. In the education arena, the Curricula and Certification Council, (C&C) chaired by George Plossl, CFPIM, was formed to define the APICS body of knowledge and steer the course of educational development.

As the nation looked more optimistically to the 1970s, technology took on major global importance. The U.S. space program flourished; the first Concorde test flight occurred; and Intel Corporation developed its revolutionary computer chip. By 1973, however, U.S. manufacturing was at a crossroads. Foreign competition, skyrocketing energy costs and inflationary pressures began to affect profit margins and market share. By the time most companies began to recognize work force education as a primary means of improving productivity in a cost-efficient manner, APICS was already spreading the word. The C&C Council had begun implementing its fledgling professional certification program in 1971 with two modules on Forecasting and Inventory Planning. Later, two more modules, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Shop Floor Control, were added to the curriculum.

By the mid-1970s, APICS had attracted international attention. The annual conference evolved into the APICS international conference when Toronto became the first host city outside of the United States; and the APICS Dictionary was translated into Japanese, German and Spanish.

In 1976, America celebrated its bicentennial. APICS also had cause to celebrate that year as the certification program grew to include five modules with the addition of Capacity Planning and Control; membership surpassed the 15,000 mark; and plans were initiated to relocate society headquarters to a larger establishment. In 1977, APICS celebrated its 20th anniversary by holding its international conference in Cleveland, the society's birthplace. One of the society's distinguished members, Oliver Wight, delivered the keynote address before a record-breaking audience of 3,800.

As its second decade came to a close, APICS looked ahead to its third decade by establishing a long-range planning committee as well as establishing plans to increase the number of regions from 10 to 14.

In the months to come, APICS - The Performance Advantage will offer further glimpses of events in APICS history and the thoughts of many of the society's pioneers.

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